You are All Smoke Without Fire
by NaaNana
Summary: Hasekura Kyona returns to Shizume City after two years of absence, only to go back to the HQ of HOMRA. She was not ready to become a fulltime member back in the past - now she'll do everything to be close to the man she loves. But things change in time... Nothing's as clear as it seems. Yata Misaki x OC.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey."

Small droplets of water were falling down from the tip of her nose, breaking the surface of a small pond that had formed on the asphalt.

She saw the guy's shoes first, and knew immediately who had come outside for her.

The guy who had stepped in front of her just moments ago, held an umbrella over her, trying to cover her from the rain.

It was such a useless thing to do. She was soaked already after all.

Lifting her face up and wiping the wet hair from her face, she smiled a little at him.

"Hey."

"You will catch a flu if you stay out here like this," the guy said with an impatient yet slightly flustered tone. She sneered.

"Haha... I don't really mind getting wet...Rain has a tendency of calming me down."

They stayed silent for a while; the woman leaning against a dirty brick wall, the guy holding out an umbrella for her. Neither of the two of them wanted to talk about what had forced the girl outside, to the pouring rain.

"I'm sure..." the guy murmured finally, "... You will work things out somehow."

The girl chuckled, her voice broken. "We won't. I don't know if it's the best this way... But he seems to care about you guys a lot... A lot more than me." She glanced at the guy in front of her. "I just don't want to be the second most important thing in his life."

"You're overreacting."

"I've chased after him ever since we met for the first time... And I was only a kid back then." She sighed and wiped another strand of wet hair behind her ear, gazing at her shoes. "I'm happy that I got even these seven months."

The guy felt most uneasy. She was obviously on the verge of tears but was holding them back... Trying to put up a brave face...

"It does complicate things..." he agreed, looking elsewhere.

"I know you don't like me much," she said softly, "but I did enjoy spending time with you all... It was fun."

The guy fell silent again. He pulled the umbrella away from the girl and used it to cover himself instead.

"That guy..." he began, "...He means a lot to you, then?"

The girl smiled to herself. "The feeling isn't mutual. I understand it now."

"He's a bit hard to understand," he sighed under his red umbrella. "I'm sure it's none of your fault... You're a kind and honest person, Hasekura-san."

The girl let out a soft broken chuckle. "Yes... and that just might be the thing that keeps us apart. I can't fit in your world... Not as I am now."

The young man frowned behind his umbrella. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'll leave," she said immediately, and the guy looked at her surprised.

"Leave?"

"I'm not ready for Homura yet," she said, hair dripping. She lifted her face and looked at the young guy with clear hazel-brown eyes and a small smile.

"But when I come back, I will be."


	2. Chapter 2

-Almost 2 years later-

Shizume City hadn't changed a bit. It was full of life: full of busy people on their way to school or work, to meet their friends, to a meeting... The colorful ads covered the buildings of downtown like flowers; big screens were flashing with everchanging clips of the upcoming movies, latest fashion, smiling people, music.

Hasekura Kyona recognized the coffee shop with pink curtains, where she had received her first job when she was sixteen. She had sold coffee and cupcakes to go, worn a cute frilly apron which never really fit her style.

As she passed the mall, she remembered the spot she had stood when the manager of the coffee shop had called and fired her for "several recurring incidents caused by her lack of discretion and ability to act like a proper customer servant."

In other words: she hadn't got along with some customers and actually had said it out loud.

It had been a good lesson: jumping on a customer for flicking your skirt up so that your panties show isn't the move a proper customer servant makes.

Now, four years later, the 20-year-old young woman fixed her black bob cut, glanced her image from a shop window and smiled. Then she noticed the customers inside the shop looking at her, amused – she blushed and hurried ahead.

She took a turn on the right, to a more secluded road, moving away from downtown and the buzzing city life. She gazed the blue sky and the slowly passing clouds that occasionally cast a gentle shadow on her before revealing the brightly shining sun once again. It was comforting that the weather was so good. It almost promised her good fortune for her little mission.

Kyona wasn't really a troublemaker, though she did have occasional problems to stay calm and collected like a proper lady. Her parents, both living a four-hour train trip away from Shizume City, were docile like sheep, but Kyona's grandma, a woman who ruled everything with an iron fist – and a frying pan - and who Kyona had lived with ever since she started going to school, was a different matter.

Hasekura Yuuko might have been past her mid-70's, but within that wrinkled woman burnt fire strong enough to torch a person.

Kyona smiled at the thought. It was funny how people like that appealed to her so strongly. It was because of her grandma's teachings that she had grown to be who she was, and it was because of her grandma that she had got to know unruly and shady people in the first place.

She stopped on her tracks the second she spotted the red corner pub, built in to a building of red and grey bricks. The green sign with the text "HOMRA". It was the same idyllic image of an English bar as it had been before – yet it seemed to lack the factor that had made her feel uneasy so many times before. What had changed?

She smirked a little, tilting her head on the side a little while watching the place. She now knew for certain.

_She_ had changed.

The little bell above the bar door rang as someone stepped inside.

"Welcome," said the man behind the counter as he concentrated on drying a glass with a small towel. "How can I help you?"

Kyona smiled, settling herself on one bar stool. The man had yet to look up from the glass.

"One membership, perhaps?" she inquired with a light tone.

Finally, the blond bartender bothered to look up.

He narrowed his eyes a bit, forgetting the glass in his hands for a moment. Then he lowered his gaze and continued what he was doing. "We don't serve those for kids."

The girl furrowed her brows. Kusanagi-san was the gate in front of the castle Homra. She would have to go through him first.

"It's a good thing I'm not a kid then," she said simply, crossing her legs, and leaned to her arm. "While waiting for that membership... How about one apple sour?"

"Are you old enough to drink?" He was now looking at her, small smirk playing on his lips.

"Turned twenty just last month," Kyona answered, answering his smirk with a smile of her own. "So you don't have to worry about losing your license. Then again, I'd imagine that would be the least of your worries."

"Don't be so sure, I like my job a lot," the man answered, turning around to fix her the drink.

Kusanagi Izumo was still the same debonair and serene fellow Kyona remembered. Even before purchasing the bar for Homra HQ, Kyona had met him a couple of times. He might have been more groomed - maybe even a tad bit scarier - than when he was a teen, but the same composed attitude had stayed somewhat the same.

Kyona was a bit excited. Hadn't he recognized her?

"Do you remember me?" she inquired carefully as the man placed a red coaster on the counter before her, and then set the light-green drink on it. He glanced at Kyona, as if researching her face and features, before giving a little sneer.

"I'm afraid we have quite the many female customers these days, I can't possibly remember everyone."

She raised her brow, smiling in disbelief. "You are kidding me." She took the glass and brought it to her lips.

"My apologies," he said with a shrug. "You do remind me of one girl, but she had such long hair that it almost reached the small of her back. It's been ages since I last saw her, though..."

Kyona looked up at him, only to face his smirking, all-knowing face. "But I doubt she would be crazy enough to cut such lovely, feminine jet-black hair short."

She pouted her lips. "You probably knew who I was the moment I stepped inside."

"More like minutes before that," Kusanagi stated. "I saw you out there, staring at the bar like a statue."

He leaned against the counter right in front of the girl, giving her a cool smile. " Now then... What's this talk about applying for a membership, Kyona-chan?"

She sipped her drink, keeping a straight face. "It's just as I said. I want to become a member."

The blond man frowned a bit as if she had been talking gibberish. "All right. Did you get this idea before or after you lost mind?"

"My head is completely fine, thank you," she said coolly. "Why do you think I was gone for almost two years? I had to have some time to think things through."

"Oh is that so?" He chuckled. "I thought you took off because your little fling with Mikoto-san didn't work out as you wanted."

"_A fling_?" she repeated, eyes sparking with irritation. The bartender raised his hands up as if apologizing, but his expression was as amused as ever.

"Okay, okay. You had a big fight and you dumped him, fine," he sighed, but the smile on his face wasn't disappearing anywhere.

"If you think I came here chasing after that man, you are mistaken," Kyona growled under her breath, taking the last gulp from the drink and slamming the glass on its coaster. "I dumped him for a reason. I'm not joining because of him."

Kusanagi lifted his chin up, gazing down at her.

"Okay then, why are you joining?"

"I'm not entitled to answer."

"You will have to answer to the Red Clansmen at some point, and trust me, they will make the same question. Only that they are less nicer than I am." Kusanagi's other mouth corner curved up a little.

Kyona frowned, glancing at her now empty glass. "Refill?"

The bartender hummed and took the glass, turning around.

"I'm aware that I need to notify the current Clansmen that I'm planning to apply," Kyona said softly. "And I also know that just a pretty please won't be enough to turn their heads."

"You've always been a smart girl, Kyona-chan," Kusanagi admitted, pouring the needed liquor into the glass, his back facing the girl. "So what are you planning to do?"

"I have thought up something," she said shortly and beamed as Kusanagi handed her another cocktail.

The man looked at her drinking, scratching his neck.

"Are you planning to get hammered before you start informing everyone?"

"Oh no, this is just an encouragement for one meeting." She smiled at him almost sheepishly. "Is Mikoto-san here?"

"He's asleep in the backroom, where else would he be?" Kusanagi sighed. "You are going to talk to him first?"

"Isn't that the best? After all... last time we saw was a bit..."

"Stormy?"

"Yeah."

The blond bartender sighed once more and shook his head. "I never really expected to see your face again, and now you are telling me you want to become a Clansman. You do realise that if others accept your application you will probably just get your hand burnt?"

"You would love to see that, wouldn't you," she laughed, throwing her head back. That was just when the bell rang and new people stepped inside the bar.

Kyona turned on her stool as Kusaragi welcomed the guys who had entered. She recognized them immediately, and for a moment, joy caught her voice and she couldn't but smile at them.

The two guys – Kamamoto Rikio, a big over-weight man with blond hair and sunglasses, and Yata Misaki, a shorter guy with auburn hair holding a skateboard – stared at the girl, confused.

"Oi, Kusanagi-san... Who's the girl?" Yata asked with a frown so usual for him as they took seats beside the counter.

"This," the bartender pointed at the girl, who was sitting on the bar stool with crossed legs, "is Hasekura Kyona-chan. Remember her? Mikoto-san's old friend."

Yata's eyes widened when he looked at the young woman again, now finally recognizing her. "Hasekura-san?"

"Surprise," she said with a big grin. "Nice to see you two, it's been a while."

The vanguard of the Red Clan got a funny look on his face and turned quickly back to Kusaragi-san.

"What is she doing here?" he snapped at the bartender. "Didn't she leave us once already?"

"Oh, she came back," the blond bartender said carefreely. "And now she wants to become a Red Clansman."

Rikio, who had been drinking soda, choked on it and started coughing violently.

"Kusanagi-san, you shouldn't have told them, it's my business..." Kyona sighed, looking worriedly at Rikio. Yata reached over and slammed his friend's back a few times to help him catch some air.

"You came back because of Mikoto-san, then?" Misaki grunted.

"No, that's not it, and you weren't even supposed to know about me applying," Kyona sighed, glaring at the bartender.

"Whatever. It's a horrible idea," the vanguard of Homra scoffed. "Besides, we don't need new members."

"Aw, Yata-chan, you would say no to a girl?" Kusanagi asked, pushing the young guy's buttons with his tone. Kyona leaned back a bit as Yata stared daggers at her. Gee, what was his problem?

"I-it's not because she's a girl," he stammered a bit, "it's because she was Mikoto-san's-"

"Was," she snapped irritated, cutting him off. "Notice the past tense and stop making such a big deal out of this."

The young vanguard humphed, looking displeased and angry.

Kyona eyed at him with a frown. Yata Misaki had never actually been that close to her; he was impetuous, impulsive and violent, and had never really liked Kyona hanging out with them in the past.

But she knew the guy had his kind side as well. She had witnessed it once. It was just so seldom that he actually bothered to show it to anyone...

"Ahn... What's with all this racket..."

Everyone turned around as the King of the Red Clan, Suoh Mikoto, appeared from the backroom. He yawned and scratched his chin, glancing at the people in the bar.

"Good morning," Kusanagi greeted him.

"Morning," Mikoto mumbled, his drowsy eyes stopping at Kyona.

"You," he said, directing his words at Kyona as he scratched his neck, "what are you doing here?"

Kyona felt her heart flutter out of nervousness. "Came to talk to you, actually."


	3. Chapter 3

Suoh Mikoto looked as bored as ever. He yawned once more, then rubbed his neck.

"Came to talk to me, huh..."

"If you want, I can throw her out," Kusanagi volunteered, but the Red King waved him off. He stuffed his hands to the pockets of his black pants and eyed at Kyona, knitting his brow. She stared right back at him. Her hands were slightly shaking, so she kept them down on her lap.

"Follow me," Mikoto finally murmured, turning around on his heels and disappearing to the backroom.

Kyona dared to exhale as he had gone, and glanced at Kusanagi, who simply shrugged.

"Good luck I guess."

Her mouth corner twitched a bit, but she wasn't able to keep up a smile. She stood up – the alcohol had done its job 'cause she felt slightly light-headed – and followed Mikoto's steps. Before going to the backroom, she glanced at Misaki and Rikio once more, but the two of them were already engaged in conversation of their own. She looked at the door in front of her, then pushed it open.

The backroom wasn't as idyllic and English as the bar she had just exited: they had got a new sofa there, but everything else seemed to be the same. The walls were painted red and a big, well-made graffiti representing the Homra insignia was painted onto one of them. There was another door on the other side of the room that lead to a narrow hallway and everyone's rooms.

Mikoto-san was lying on his back on the large black couch, smoking and staring at the ceiling.

Kyona went closer and took a seat in one of the armchairs. She accidentally kicked a pile of pizza boxes on her feet. Apparently there was still no one to clean their messes. The HQ of the notorious Red Clan reminded a lot of a messy bachelor's apartment.

"So."

She startled as Mikoto spoke. He had turned his eyes at her, but didn't seem all that angry or irritated. It was always hard to tell what was going on in his mind.

"What's your business?"

Kyona took in a breath. "I wanted to inform you that I'm applying for HOMRA. I hope you have nothing against it."

The guy stared at her for a moment before turning his eyes back at the roof, and blew out some smoke.

"It's been a while," Kyona continued, keeping her voice steady. "Last time we met, we split up in bad terms. But I hope you understand why I left... Why I had to leave."

She wiped her hair behind her ear, a motion she had done many times while her hair was still long – now the strands hardly stayed behind her ears.

"We've known each other for a long time, and I..." She stopped for a moment, considering her words. "I care about you. I wish that there is no ill will between us if and when I become a Homra."

The red-haired man took the cig from his mouth. He reached out and rinsed the ashes on a tray that was set next to the couch, while blowing out some more smoke. Kyona coughed a little; she had never liked his smoking habit, and she knew very well that this was one form of his revenge on her. He knew she despised the smell of tobacco.

"Do you think I have?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"Something against it," he said. "Do you think I have something against it?"

She blinked again and searched for words. "Well... I did leave the city all of a sudden... If you are still angry with me, you might not want me around..."

"My opinion matters, then?"

She looked at him, and he turned his face to meet her eyes. For a moment they were both silent; old childhood friends, talking with each other without words.

"I'm going to apply," she finally said softly, "even if you are still mad at me. This is not about my old relationship with you. But I'd rather be a Clansman to a King whose eyes are not clouded with distrust towards me."

Mikoto sat up, stumping his cig to the ash tray and leaned to his knees with his arms.

"You sound as serious as ever," he grunted, rubbing his sore neck. Then, he looked back at her and humphed with a slanted smile. "I'm not angry. A bit confused why you should join us, though. I thought HOMRA was dead to you, along with me."

"Not even close," she said with a shake of her head. "I care about you, but I didn't come back because of that. When we split up, we split up. I don't expect any special treatment from you. I want to support you on your path, to follow you... guide you, if needed. Not as a girlfriend, but a friend of the Red King."

The man, four years older than her, exhaled and leaned back against the couch.

"I remember," he said with a low voice. With a questioning stare, she waited him to continue.

"What you said when we split up. I remember."

She stayed silent, wondering if they would talk about it more thoroughly. But Mikoto-san was the same as ever; he was never talkative, not even around his closest friends. And when he didn't say anything anymore, Kyona saw it as her sign to leave.

The fact that he remembered what she had said in their past fight... She felt both pleased and unhappy to hear that. She had said many things, good and bad. Had he thought about her words while she was gone? What did he think about her now?

"Wait for my sign," she said before exiting the room. "I will show you that I'm fit to become a part of your group. And when I take your hand... your flames will not burn me."

He sneered from the couch. "Do what you wish."

"I wouldn't have believed that Kyona-chan would come back!" Rikio blurted as he and Yata were patrolling on the streets of downtown.

"That woman is crazy," Yata snorted, carrying his beloved skateboard.

"Applying to become a member... What could a stump like her do for us?"

"Well, we have Anna, and she's just a kid," Rikio pointed out. "But man, I did not recognize her! Remember when we first met Kyona-chan? She had chased that group of guys with a bar of metal –!"

The chubby man laughed from the bottom of his heart. Misaki grunted, giving a glare to some poor passerbys who immediately moved away from them, giving them space.

"She had cut her hair," he murmured halfly to himself. "Why would she do that? It was fine when it was long."

"Oh yeah, that's why I didn't realise it was her in the first place," Rikio said thoughtfully. "Didn't she used to look a lot like one of those typical school girls, with the school uniform and the long straight hair? Now it barely covered her ears... And she was wearing pants instead of a skirt..."

"Looked like a guy to me," Yata snorted, irritated. He hopped on his skateboard and Rikio had to speed up to keep up with him.

"I s'ppose..." The chubby man chuckled. "Her chest hasn't grown much either, so you even can't tell from that!"

"W-why would you look at her chest!" Misaki exclaimed at his friend. Rikio shrugged casually.

"I just did. I didn't really care about it before 'cause she looked pretty feminine then... with the skirt and the hair. But she doesn't have much shape, does she?"

"How would I know, I don't goggle at her like you do, pervert," the vanguard of HOMRA snapped.

"You were the one who said she looked like a guy, first-"

"I meant her hair!"

Misaki grunted angrily and suddenly kicked more speed, totally losing Rikio, who didn't even try to yell after him. Yata Misaki was someone who got angry for the most oddest reasons – then just took off skateboaring.

To cool off.

Misaki growled to himself. Her chest... As if the change in Hasekura-san had happened only in her looks...!

When Hasekura-san used to date Mikoto-san, she had always the same aura of uncertainty around her. Even when she laughed with them or spend time together, she never cuddled with Mikoto-san or... did anything girly, like giggle or blush.

People screamed as Misaki charged right past them with his skateboard, hopped up and slid down a banister, then continued going forward as if nothing.

Hasekura-san was a year older than Misaki, and about one centimeter shorter. She had eyes as brown as hazelnuts and straight, smooth raven hair. When Misaki and Rikio had come across her for the first time, she had been a high school senior, who ran around in her school uniform, beating up guys who tried to take advantage of her and other young girls.

Misaki knew that fire of Homra was within her – even if she wasn't a member yet.

The guy hopped off from his board and kicked it to an upright position, taking it under his armpit once again as he continued to walk forward.

He remembered Hasekura-san and Mikoto-san's fight that had lead them to break up. He hadn't heard every word, nor what had started it all, but he had seen how Hasekura-san had dashed out from the HQ into the heavy autumn rain. No one had gone after her, even though the bar had been packed with HOMRA members. Not Totsuka-san, not even Mikoto-san.

He still couldn't figure out why he had been the one to go after her. Grabbed his umbrella and ran out to find her. He hadn't been able to give her comfort or cheer her up. The moment when he had got to her, all he had been able to do was hold his umbrella over her. And even that had been useless since she was already soaking wet by the time he had got to her.

"She did say she'd come back," Misaki mumbled to himself. It had taken two years, but now she was here.

And something had definitely changed. Not just the hair Rikio had so dumbly underlined.

"Besides... Her chest is just fine," the vanguard of HOMRA thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

As Kyona was walking down the wide street, basking in sunlight that so generously shone upon her, she thought about the events that had brought her to this point.

Shizume City. Homra. Suoh Mikoto - the Red King.

Their conversation had actually given her more confidence than she had expected. It was apparent that her application might raise some objections among the Homra members, sure, but she was ready. She was going to make herself noticed by the other members in a totally unexpected way.

She flicked her black bob-cut and inhaled, taking in the warm summer breeze. She thought about Mikoto: his messy, spiky red hair, his tired eyes and the smoking habit that had disappeared no where. His low, lazy tone of voice, the few words he spoke.

Only mere two years ago she had been so in love with him that it seemed almost ridiculous now. Kyona knew that love hadn't disappeared anywhere – simply toned down to something more humble and less wishful. She glanced at the bag in her hand, then raised her head up and saw her target. A small smirk appearing on her lips, she strutted forward with eager steps.

Kanamoto Tower was one of the downtown's landmarks; a skyscraper of which front-side worked as a gigantic screen. It was ideal for advertisements, sudden news reports and other kinds of announcement that had to be shared with the public fast. It was only a matter of hours when it would be used to share Kyona's announcement.

She made her way inside the building where she immediately spotted the staff's door. The receptionist behind the desk glanced at her with a bored expression before turning back to her computer screen.

This would be the trickiest part.

From her pocket, Kyona took a small, ball-like object and held it in her palm.  
"Excuse me," she inquired from the receptionist, who resentfully turned to her again, "I'm here to meet Fujiwara Ryuichi-san, I had a scheduled meeting with him."

The man in charge of the screen's control panel.

"Fujiwara-san is in a meeting at the moment," the receptionist said coolly with a small annoyed frown.

"A meeting?" Kyona gasped. "How can that be? I was in contact with him a week ago and we agreed that we'd meet on this day! In the 5th floor, where the control panel is."

"You must be mistaken, the control panel is located in the 10th floor, not the 5th," the receptionist said, already glancing at her computer screen. Kyona saw the reflection from the woman's glasses: she was shoe-shopping online. The lack of co-operation from the receptionist would not be the death of her plans.

"I am here to represent Goba Co. Heard of them?" Something seemed to happen inside the receptionist's brain, because her face snapped back at her in a second. "Our company tends to use the screen of Kanamoto Tower on daily basis, but we have come to notice a flaw in one of our commercials, and we want it taken off. If you do not contact Fujiwara-san at this instant, Goba Co. will personally hold you accountable for not letting us change our advertisement while spending your time—" Kyona grabbed the computer screen, turning it towards herself. The woman yelped in shock as her shopping spree was revealed. "...Shoe-shopping."

Kyona smacked her tongue. "You do understand what that means... don't you?"

She gave the woman behind the counter the most condescending and coldest looks she could – and it seemed to have the wanted effect. She immediately grabbed the phone and dialed the needed numbers. And, while the shoe-loving receptionist was concentrated on getting in contact with Fujiwara Ryuichi, Kyona used this to secretly flick the marble ball-sized object on the other side of the entrance hall, right behind the elaborate flower bushes. It took only a couple of seconds before sparks began to fly – catching the plants on fire.

Kyona gasped in false shock and the receptionist – who had just got in contact with Fujiwara Ryuichi – saw the same as she and began screaming, throwing the phone aside and hurried to the fire alarm button. As she did this, Kyona charged to the staff's door, put in the key and charged to the staircase. This would take strength – she'd have to get to the tenth floor, where the control panel was.

People were hurrying to the staircase and she had to do her best not to get hit by the escaping people. Her calves burnt by the time she was on the 7th floor, and she bit her tongue to keep on going. People pushed against her as she swam up the river of evacuating humans – someone even grabbed her arms to stop her but she slammed the arm away violently and hurried forward.

By the time she was on the 10th floor, she was sweaty and gasping for air. Her hands and legs were shaking from the adrenaline, but she kept on going. The control panel – the fifth room on the right. She used the key again and got inside. As she had hoped – there were no one in there anymore. The control panel had been left on, and the ads were going on a loop as always. She did as she had been told and put her memory stick into the USB portal. And pressed Enter.

Yata Misaki glanced up as the weirdest sound shot through the air – like someone blowing into a giant whistle. The crowd moving around him also stopped and glanced around to find the source of the noise, which then changed into cheerful: "GOOD DAY, EVERYONE!"

Everyone's attention turned to Kanamoto Tower a few hundred meters away from them: the screen wasn't showing any more of those flashy lemonade commercials, or models showing off the newest make-up. Misaki's eyes went round like plates when he saw Hasekura Kyona's face on the big screen – an animated insignia of Homra slowly turning behind her.

"My name is Hasekura Kyona!" she said with a smile playing on her lips, but her tone dead serious. "I am the newest applicant for HOMRA. I hereby announce this entire city – and all of HOMRA's members – that I wish to serve under their leader and become a part of their group." The smile widened a little as she added. "I hope you will accept me – and that your leader will take my hand and so seal my contract with him. No blood, no bone, no ash."

She chuckled.

"With this information, I bid you farewell. Bye-bye!"

And with that, the announcement was over – leaving only a black screen, with the burning mark of the Red clan playing on it.

Misaki's grip on his skateboard loosened and it fell on the pavement. He kept staring at the Kanamoto Tower and it's hacked screen.

He snapped out of his amazement as he realised something. Where was Kyona at the moment?

She had known from the beginning that once her job was done, getting out of the Kanamoto Tower would be difficult. She knew about SCEPTER4 – if she wasn't careful, she'd be locked away before even becoming a member of HOMRA.

She made her way down the staff stairs in a hurry, her bag heavy on her shoulder. She'd have to thank Nobuo if she saw him again. Her former high school classmate had done excellent job getting her the master key and making the needed hacking program. It was actually a good thing someone she knew had fallen on the shadier side of the law.

As she got to the second floor she ran to the hallway and went to the window at the end of it. Grabbing another house plant, she broke the window with it and looked outside. Without a further a do, she jumped out and landed on a carbage pile – and quickly shot up from it and hopped on her legs. She cringed a bit in pain – what had she landed on, a pile of tin cans?

She charged on the other side of the alley, but froze as someone shouted "Stop right there!"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw what she'd feared – members of SCEPTER4 in their blue uniforms. They had been fast!

"Hasekura Kyona!" shouted a light-haired woman with such large cleavage that it was almost painful to watch. "We, the SCEPTER4, have come to detain you for breaking into and hacking the system of Kanamoto Tower. Come in peace, we will not wish to use violence."

"I don't think so," she shouted back, trying to think hard what to do next, "I have places to be, if you understand what I mean."

"I would advice you not to join HOMRA so carelessly, missy," the young woman said coolly.

"Carelessly?" Kyona sneered. "Please. I have thought of this almost two years by now. I know what I am doing."

"Or then you are simply foolish," said the woman, grabbing the sword that was hanging from her belt and pulling it out from its sheath. "This is my last warning!"

"I hope so," Kyona grunted. "I'm tired of your talk already."

"Hasekura Kyona..." spoke suddenly the guy in glasses beside the blond woman, making everyone turn their attention on him. The guy was looking at Kyona with a raised brow and mused out loud, "Not... Mikoto-san's... Hasekura Kyona?"

"What?" the blond woman asked in confusion, and just as she turned to the young man Kyona seized the moment to dash away. "Wait!" A slash of blue fire was shot just when Kyona managed to turn around the corner, barely missing it.

She ran as fast as she could in the middle of the crowd and made her way forward, pushing people out of her way.

"Hasekura-san!"

She turned and saw Yata Misaki on his skateboard, coming towards her. She felt warm feeling of relief in her chest, seeing someone who was not a foe. Not perhaps a friend either, but that didn't matter.

She motioned with her hand for him to follow as they moved to one of the underground tunnels below the city park.

"SCEPTER4 was there," she said as she finally stopped running, confident that they had lost them. "It was a good thing I wasn't caught..."

"Too many witnesses to open fire carelessly," Yata scoffed as if worrying over innocent civilians had been a sign of weakness. Sometimes Kyona didn't get his train of thoughts – or actions.

"What was that anyway?!"

Kyona glanced at him – then a smile spread on her lips. "So you saw it? My little announcement?"

"You didn't have to break into somewhere to announce stuff like that!" Misaki snapped. She looked way too happy, and for some reason Yata's cheeks turned red from seeing that. He scoffed once again, turning his face away from her. "...It was pretty cool though," he added mumbling.

The girl couldn't stop smiling. "Think the others will accept me?"

The guy with a skateboard shrugged, indifferent. " I don't know what they think," he said as if irritated. "We'll have to get back to Kusanagi-san and then we will find out."

"Oh yes..." Kyona huffed and scratched the back of her head. She then realised something and turned to Yata Misaki with raised brows. "I didn't expect you to be anywhere close, were you... Were you coming for my aid?"

The guy swiftly looked at her. "Huh?"

"You called my name," she said shortly. "Were you looking for me?"

"Of course!" he shouted as if she was an idiot. "An announcement that huge catches everyone's attention, no wonder SCEPTER4 came to arrest you!"

"So I was right," she said, smile creeping on her face. "You were coming for me."

Misaki shut his mouth and simply stared at the girl one-year-older than him. He would not say another word. Kyona, despite her amused smile, seemed also surprised. This was the Misaki she had met two years ago... On that rainy, cool day outside the HOMRA bar...

"Better move from here," Misaki finally stated, hopping on his skateboard and kicking it past Kyona. Even though he moved fast, Kyona managed to notice his flushed cheeks. She stood there, looking after him with a wondering smile, before she also ran after him.


End file.
